Oh hey, time for me to make another post.

[Princess Celly]

I think I might have uninstalled Rift or I'd log in to gauge active players. I don't know if it's visibly down since last time I logged in (which was to see the wedding tux on my female character - and then I remembered how awesome I set up my cosmetics and farted around for a few minutes before leaving again, but I digress)

Sky is falling, etc etc. It's why I left, but every now and then I get a promo email that they seem to think is going to make me want to come back. And so I fart around and do my research and see what's up.

First of all, if you want me to come back to a game that I left because of its rapid descent into P2W, breaking your promise of "content will always be free" by hiding the new expansion behind a paywall, that ain't gonna cut it.

Except it could.

You see, right now, Rift is terrible because it's trying to rake in money from two different angles. It's trying to charge for the game itself, and it's charging money to advance yourself in the game. If you just cut the freemium P2W crap and just charged $15/month for game access and stopped selling gear and level boosters (and just sold cosmetic crap - and people would buy that cosmetic crap) - you'd be solid.

You need to stop trying to pretend to be "free to play"/freemium/pay-to-win. All you're doing is killing off the casual players and you're left with a dwindling population of what are known as "whales," the trust fund kids with stupid amounts of cash to waste, but they're not gonna waste it on Rift when nobody else is here to play with.

I suppose, the xpac was just announced, so there's still time for you to say "Past level 65, we're done selling gear, pay $40 and then you're on the same grounds as anyone else, money gets you nowhere." Actually a solid opportunity to wipe the slate clean and try again. And hell, I might even come back if you did that. But I won't hold my breath. We all know it's gonna be more broken promises, more pay to win, more blatant sacrificing of gameplay for a quick penny.

And after such a long time away, I still weep, because I loved Rift and still remember what it used to be. My girlfriend, already a longtime player, got me playing so we could have bonding time in our LDR. And I fell in love with the game. We've both long since left, eternally frustrated with the mismanagement of the game by Trion.

I make one of these posts on it seems a semi-annual basis, I suppose in the vain hopes that someone out there in a position of control will hear, listen, and understand. Because I miss Rift. Not the miserable experience it was when I finally left, but what it used to be, what it could be.

And I've always been quietly waiting and watching for the signal that I can come back. So far, this isn't it.

-Rokola

[shp]

I always agree with posts like this. The amount of mismanagement, a chain of terrible, terrible decisions, both gameplay and monetization wise... RIFT had a huge potential really. It's a shame whenever I think about how good the game was and what it is today. Sometimes I feel that 5 year old would direct things better. They have a chance to bounce back a little with a new expansion, but even if it's good, the irreparable damage is done. I follow several MMO related forums and 99% of the time when there's discussion related to TRION games or company in general, the amount of trash talking and bashing is astounding. But who's to blame to be honest? They themselves created this bad rep. It's incredible when you think how they went from most respected devs in the genre (they really were) to most hated.

[Genshiken]

Just remember when you get married, you make a promise "til death do you part". So if you ever want to end a marriage, someone has to die.

But on another note, you can just unsubscribe from the news letter and they won't send you anymore updates, that way you can move on (which people seem to have a problem doing).

/sarcasm

[Fall3nOne]

testing insert

[Necalli]

OP, you're not the only one that thinks this. I just a week ago or so I made a post talking about the same thing. You and I aren't the only ones that think that either. It's been all over the forums lately. There are a few who have chapped rears about having to pay for content, but from what I've seen a lot of people understand how it could be very beneficial.

I'm more or less where you are now. I hold onto hope that the team will make the necessary changes, but don't expect them to do it. As such I've went ahead and taken my leave from the game as it stands. I refuse to log in until earrings and planewalker: water are taken away from their paywalls. Those aren't the only issues though unfortunately.

I think paying for the expansion is a step in the right direction but it can't be the only step they take otherwise they're just adding one more expense into the game.

[MoMo1]

Earnings and and planewalker are again purchaseable by void stones. If you had logged in you would have seen it in the patch notes. Also on the forum. Also the essentials pack is no longer time limited.

The decision to play or not is yours.

[Necalli]

Earnings and and planewalker are again purchaseable by void stones. If you had logged in you would have seen it in the patch notes. Also on the forum. Also the essentials pack is no longer time limited.

The decision to play or not is yours.

I saw, but it still undermines the entire idea of changing the payment model. Instead of committing to the new payment model they're creating this F2P/B2P hybrid that has a price tag on everything. Not to mention the fact that if you're going B2P you can't have paywalls on armor slots.

I did make the decision to not play a while ago, still sticking with it.

[Meteorblade]

If you just cut the freemium P2W crap and just charged $15/month for game access and stopped selling gear and level boosters (and just sold cosmetic crap - and people would buy that cosmetic crap) - you'd be solid.

They used the subscription model for the first couple of years. If it was a model that was going to continue to work, they wouldn't have changed to F2P.

[MoMo1]

I saw, but it still undermines the entire idea of changing the payment model. Instead of committing to the new payment model they're creating this F2P/B2P hybrid that has a price tag on everything. Not to mention the fact that if you're going B2P you can't have paywalls on armor slots.

I did make the decision to not play a while ago, still sticking with it.

So you knew about the change and still put misleading information in a post made today. That sort of sums up your post really. So you came to the forum simply to say..I don't play and won't pay. Fair enough.

[Meowy]

Yeah, I love Rift but all the bad decisions they have done have sort of ruined the fun out of the game for me and most of my long gone friends and I have hopes they will change that for the better by the time SP comes out.

Turning the game into B2P is a step in the right decision yes but only if they get rid of other paywalls. I bought the expansion through a gifter. I have enough plat from my years of playing the game and I would never fork real money over anyway (as of this time) to this game. I eagerly wait for the next expansion, hoping it would be a good one. I rarely log in nowadays, there is literally nothing to do now for me in here but I will be back when SP comes out.

Whether or not the next expansion would give me the reason I need to keep enjoying Rift again or the real nail of the coffin of my time here is yet to be seen. Hopefully the former.

[Elayara]

They used the subscription model for the first couple of years. If it was a model that was going to continue to work, they wouldn't have changed to F2P.

Or they just fell to the hype at this time when the whole industry glorified F2P as the new holy grail, and hoped to increase their revenue tenfold. Though nobody outside Trion knows the real numbers, I have my doubts that this worked out as planned.

@OP: I agree with everything you said. Personally I wish Rift the best of luck, as it still has a lot of very good sides; and if they should ever change their horrible business model into something acceptable to me, I will for sure become a paying customer again. Until then someone else has to pay all the price tags out there...

[Islesi]

At this point the game is too far set in its design philosophy to be able to make another full business model change. I suppose all they can do is move in bits towards a more inclusive less nickle and diming B2P package - as the new expac is presumably a test for.

Trouble is, it's all down to how a business model makes the customers feel. Trion's run the gamut over the course of Rift's life and I've no idea what the majority of the playerbase feels about it now. I know I don't like its current form which is why I'm not paying nor playing, whereas I used to be a staunch supporter of Rift in it's sub days. The feel of the current nickle and diming F2P model is horrible to me, but I like the idea behind the new expac. But even if the expac is B2P it still sits upon a F2P P2W game.

[Lulutala]

I can't see the business model changing at all unfortunately as i don't think the people making these decisions think Rift can sustain itself on simply selling fluff alone. It's sad to say but the subscription model just didn't work for Rift, then they tried the free to play market and it evidently didn't work as you don't just change business model for the fun of it.

Literally nothing will change, Trion just wants everyone to fork out $40 beforehand. We will still see the previous tier sold on the store for credits, 90% of the expansion mounts will be put in lockboxes, arguable some PTW items added in game (see BIS essences only for $$) and i've no doubt that the new way to change your stats on gear will become another huge grind (or again just pay for it) along with other new ways to monetize every little thing.

I might seem pessimistic along with others but can anyone blame us? I don't hate Rift and i hope I'm wrong but it's just disappointing to see how it's turned out.

[Amadeux]

Because DotA isn't Pay To Win, you can't buy skill, it's a fair and (occasionally) fun game.

Please, point me to where they sell Skill in the shop. I could use a heavy dose.

[Speedbug]

I can't see the business model changing at all unfortunately as i don't think the people making these decisions think Rift can sustain itself on simply selling fluff alone. It's sad to say but the subscription model just didn't work for Rift, then they tried the free to play market and it evidently didn't work as you don't just change business model for the fun of it.

Literally nothing will change, Trion just wants everyone to fork out $40 beforehand. We will still see the previous tier sold on the store for credits, 90% of the expansion mounts will be put in lockboxes, arguable some PTW items added in game (see BIS essences only for $$) and i've no doubt that the new way to change your stats on gear will become another huge grind (or again just pay for it) along with other new ways to monetize every little thing.

I might seem pessimistic along with others but can anyone blame us? I don't hate Rift and i hope I'm wrong but it's just disappointing to see how it's turned out.

Give me a cash option instead of a "do that" option and I give myself an alt f4 option. As soon as I smell that they are focusing again on my wallet and not on my ingame fun they will have 1 less buyer with me